There was plenty of excitement ahead ofGoogle’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Proreleases, and the launch did not disappoint. With ultra bright displays and seven full years of OS upgrades, Google made the most out of a fairly basic refresh. Less than two months following the debut of the phones, however, some Pixel owners are now starting to notice serious flaws in their hardware. Specifically, many are reporting what seem to be dimples or small bumps appearing on their screens.
Android Authorityspotted posts onReddit, as well as in thePixel phonecommunity, of images showcasing bumps or, in some cases, ripples that have appeared on their Pixel 8. At the moment, it seems entirely cosmetic — there do not seem to be any functionality issues related to the flaws. Additionally, the bumps aren’t very obvious unless you look closely.
However, this has some device owners seeking extended warranties in case issues do emerge. In some cases, owners have contacted Google seeking a replacement, but it is unclear if the problem is widespread (via9to5Google). After reviewing teardowns of the device, it seems that the positioning of internal components could be to blame — they appear to press up against the screen, causing potential damage. The manufacturing process may have also contributed to the problem, though this has not been confirmed.
Unfortunately for Google, this is not the first issue to be reported pertaining to the Pixel 8. Many owners have claimed that the device is alsoprone to overheating, a problem seemingly related to its mobile data usage. As a consequence, phones facing this problem do not have as long of a battery life as some might expect. Previous models of the Pixel phone have also exhibited similar issues in the past, many of which were linked to the Exynos modem inside of the Tensor G1 that powered the Pixel 6. This older modem was a noted power hog, renowned for draining batteries. It also resulted in connectivity issues, with device owners reporting frequently dropped calls.
Unlike the display issue, not all hope is lost for those who are facing these types of power consumption issues, as it could theoretically be remedied with a modem firmware update. Still, there is little that can be done for physical issues — such as these display bumps — that are just now emerging on the phone. A little more than one month out since launch, there’s also no telling if this is the only one that will arise. This shouldn’t stop you from investing in the product, especially if you need a new phone orwant to take advantage of Black Friday pricing, but it’s worth considering if durability is a concern.
